Sometimes LESS is MORE.
At a recent competition I saw 2 coaches working with a group of Level 5 gymnasts on vault. There was SO MUCH coaching going on I am surprised the gymnasts could even function.
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Rules For a Better Life In and Out of The Gym
Adapted from Manly Palmer Hall (March 18, 1901 – August 29, 1990). Here are some great words of wisdom to help you live a better life, run a better gym or coach a better team.
1. Stop worrying
Do not confuse thoughtfulness and worry. The thoughtful person plans solutions, but the worrier merely dissolves in his own doubt. The worrier not only suffers the same disaster many times, but undermines their health and annoys all others with whom they come into contact. There are many things in this world that require thoughtful consideration, but (to quote FDR) there is really nothing to fear but fear itself.
2. Stop trying to dominate and posses your friends and relatives
It is very debilitating to give advice which is ignored or rejected, and equally disappointing to attempt to posses and dominate persons who immediately resent and combat our dictatorial tendencies. We are hurt when they do not see things our way. If we save advice for ourselves and those who seek it from us, and who are therefore grateful, all concerned will be the better.
3. Moderate ambition
There is a tendency to overlook natural and simple blessings while we plunge on toward distant goals. Each individual has certain capacities. If we recognize our own abilities and work with them, we can attain personal security. If, however, we constantly seek that which is not reasonably attainable, we can never know happiness or contentment. It is not necessary to be famous in order to be happy. The ambitious usually pay too much for what they get, and are the more miserable after they get it.
4. Do not accumulate more than you need
There is no real distinction in being the richest man in the graveyard. Many a man who has made a million has not lived to spend it. A rich life can be more practical than a monumental bank account.
5. Learn to relax
The more tense we become, the more stupidly we are likely to act, and, according to the old Buddhists, stupidity is a cardinal sin. Today, many so-called efficient people are perpetually on the verge of a nervous breakdown. This is not so likely to be due to overwork as to unreasonable driving impulses from within themselves. Whether you believe it or not, you are a better producer and a better provider if you do not collapse from psychic exhaustion at some critical moment when you are most in need of good health.
6. Cultivate a sense of humor
The more seriously we take ourselves and our responsibilities, the duller we become. It is a saving grace to realize that, although living is a serious matter, we can take it too seriously. It is the ability to laugh with the world and not at the world. If we must laugh at someone, let it be ourselves. Humor is a spice to living. It adds flavor to workouts. The sincere, happy laugh of kids in the gym is what others dream of. It relieves tension and restores good nature. Incidentally, it makes friends and inspires confidence.
7. Find a reason for your own existence
A simple pattern is to realize that the laws of Nature that put you here seem to be primarily concerned with growth. You are a success to the degree that you grow, and you grow to the degree that you become a wiser, more useful, and more secure person. In other words, we live to learn, and by this very process, we learn to live. Broaden your horizon, develop an interest in all that is fine, beautiful, and purposeful. When you earn something- SHARE IT.
8. Never intentionally harm another person
Never by word or deed return evil for good, or evil for evil. As we look around us, we see the tragic results of individuals and nations that harbor grudges or nurse the instincts for revenge. Even the selfish person realizes that they cannot afford to keep a grudge, and the unselfish simply will not permit grudges to accumulate because they know better and they believe better.
9. Beware of anger
In a moment of anger, we may create a situation which will require years to remedy. Why should we spend our time trying to recover from our own mistakes? If we disapprove, let us state our case simply and quietly. We have all made mistakes, let them know that no one is perfect and get past it. A quick temper is a serious handicap in business or in the gym. It is useless to say that we cannot control anger. This is as much as to admit that we have lost the power to control ourselves. If we resent the unkindness of others and the collective irritability of this generation, let us make sure that we are not one of the irritating factors.
10. Never blame others for our own mistakes
It is hardly necessary. Each of us seems to have an incredible capacity to do things badly and select unwisely. Instead of resenting misfortunes, and seeking to excuse our own limitations, we must face the facts. Either we are stronger than the problem and can solve it intelligently, or the problem is stronger than we are, and the only solution is to increase our own strength. Others are not to blame for our unhappiness. Each of us must seek our own peace of mind, and, as the Arabian Nights so well expressed it, happiness must be earned.
In my gyms I really only have a few rules.
-Don’t be on time- be early
– No one sits down in the gym
– Don’t come to me with a problem without a potential solution
– EVERYONE leaves with a smile (even if you have to fake it)
What rules do you have in your gym? SHARE
Holiday Greeting
Hey- I know it is a busy time of year. You just had a meet and you have another coming up. Mean while you have to fit in 4 holiday celebrations in the next 2 1/2 days. Just remember that you need to take a little time for yourself and your family.
Have a great holiday. Have a drink (if you so desire) and try not to eat ALL the cookies your gymnasts gave you.
Gymnastics Coach’s Code of Professional Conduct
I NEED TO THANK JOHN HOWARD FROM THE GYMNASTICS ZONE FOR LETTING ME RE- POST THIS. John has some great articles on his website. If I were you, I would check it often! Follow him on twitter @gymnasticszone.
If you did not read Drs Joe and Sue Massimo’s article on Ethics, You may want to read that first.
Code of Professional Conduct
What make you a PROFESSIONAL COACH?
- Just getting paid does not make you a PROFESSIONAL COACH.
- Just paying a membership fee does not make you a PROFESSIONAL COACH
- Just taking a test and passing a background check does not make you a PROFESSIONAL COACH..
Coaching is a lifetime commitment to learning and teaching. Coaching is understanding your own shortcomings and weaknesses and fixing them.
Professional gymnastics coaches control their own feelings and emotions in order to move gymnasts forward in dealing with their gymnastics careers. Professional gymnastics coaches have the highest standards when it comes to the the role model they are for gymnasts and how those gymnasts move through their gymnastics career and the rest of their lives. Professional gymnastics coaches live up to even higher ideals and standards than they expect of their gymnasts. Professional gymnastics coaches follow a code of conduct in their personal and professional lives.
Read the entire Article
The 10.0, Time to Bring it Back?
I try VERY hard to site any anywhere I get information from. I gathered this information from a number of sources. Gymnasticszone.com, Gymnastike and American Gymnast.
There is probably no more controversial topic in International Gymnastics today than the 10.0 or Lack of 10.0. The 10.0 was the very trademark and most recognizable symbol of our sport.
That being said, it did have its limitations. Is it time to bring it back? What are your thoughts? Post your comments below
Here’s a short list of the way the code has created trends in men’s and women’s gymnastics during the past several quads:
1988-1992: The perfect 10 system endures, meaning elite-level routines that meet all difficulty requirements start from a 10 and are devalued from there. Notable trends: The period of the greatest emphasis on “perfection” and making routines and skills look flawless.
1992-1996: Routines start at a base 9.4 start value in women’s gymnastics, and 9.0 in men’s gymnastics, meaning the gymnast has to earn bonus points by performing difficult combinations. Notable trends: The blind to Jaeger on uneven bars and back handsprings followed by multiple layout stepouts on beam.
1996-2000: The FIG does away with compulsory routines, lowers the base start value in both men’s and women’s gymanstics and devalues combinations like back handsprings followed by multiple layout stepouts on beam. Notable trends: This is the era of the punch front to wolf jump mount on beam, double layouts to punch fronts on floor, and lots of forward swinging combinations on rings. Sans compulsories, many top gymnasts have a slightly different presentation, less balletic than in past years.
2000-2004: The new code forces more difficult combinations in order to attain greater bonus. The first generation of gymnasts not to grow up with compulsories are less elegant but a greater number seem capable of greater difficulty than before. Notable trends: Lesser-seen combinations from past years like the front aerial, back handspring, layout stepout on beam gain popularity. The punch front to sheep jump is also seen often.
2004-2008: After an Olympic marred by judging scandals in the men’s all-around, rings, parallel bars and high bar, the FIG abandons the perfect 10 in favor of an open-ended code that in theory rewards execution as much as difficulty. Gymnasts are required to do 10 difficult elements in each routine, and bonus is given for extremely difficult combinations. But gymnasts and coaches quickly figure out that since there is no limit to the amount of D-score one can get, that is the thing to focus on. Notable trends: The double full side pass on floor.
2008-present: More of the same, with slight modifications, namely that the number of elements is reduced from 10 to eight in women’s gymnastics. Notable trends: Bail to toe hecht transitions on uneven bars, sissones or stag jumps out of all imaginable tumbling passes on women’s floor, Takamoto skills to Yamawaki or Kovacs on high bar, 1.5 to full twisting front 1 3/4 rolls on men’s floor.
“Originally created to serve the development of our sport, the Code has mutated into a time bomb that we are wholly unable to contain,” Grandi wrote. “Worse, it is a pitfall to judges and gymnasts alike, and creates situations that are often impossible to navigate. Remember Athens!”
Letter From Bruno Grandi
Oh, that Code!
The more seasoned among us remember back to the first Code. A twelve-page opus crafted by Gander, Lapalu and Hentges, it gave structure to Men’s Artistic Gymnastics and mapped out judging in three distinct categories: difficulty, combination and execution. That was back in 1949.
Today, the Code reaches out to cover all FIG disciplines; it governs everything, infiltrating gymnastics like a metastasis that spreads and traps the sport in its deadly net. Originally created to serve the development of our sport, the Code has mutated into a time bomb that we are wholly unable to contain. Worse, it is a pitfall to judges and gymnasts alike, and creates situations that are often impossible to navigate. Remember Athens!
The time has come for us, the technicians, judges and leaders in sport, to gather round a single table and revisit the Code; to re-equip our discipline with the structure and spirit originally inherent to it. This is the endgame of the FIG Symposiums for Rhythmic Gymnastics in Zurich (SUI) at the end of April, for Artistic and Trampoline in mid-June and for Aerobic and Acrobatic in September.
Simplify the Codes; we all agree on this point. Keep in mind the essence of Roman law, the first legal system in the history of Man and which is still active today. According to our predecessors, excessive detail is what dilutes and suffocates justice. Too many laws annihilate law itself!
Starting in 2005, we took successful steps toward standardising our Codes; a commendable action, to be sure, but a far cry from being enough. What we need is complete and unequivocal reform if we hope to have a Code that serves to further develop our sport. We must simplify, not complicate. What is the essential reason for the Code? What is it made to do? What is the meaning of its existence? The answer is found in history, whose most basic message is that in order to move forward into the future, one often needs to take a brief look into the past.
At the 1948 Olympic Games in London, judging in gymnastics was scandalous! Judges were using criteria to evaluate exercises specific only to their own countries. It was a free for all. Such chaos! A Code was then created to clarify and classify criteria to maintain a standardized approach to judging. Unity was finally re-established.
A mere twelve pages in 1949 compared to hundreds today, not counting the thousands of symbols that go with them! How can a judge effectively react, evaluate and decide in mere seconds and under the pressure that goes hand in hand with, say, an Olympic Final? Impossible; it is beyond human capacity.
We need a Code, a point of reference, which will bring structure to the evaluations brought by our judges and allow us to employ the Fairbrother system. Only by doing this will we be able to avoid situations such as were experienced in Athens and London. We have the tools, IRCOS for one, which can aid in attributing an accurate technical score if used properly. But we must accept the fact that the Artistic score is largely a product of a more subjective, and certainly human, evaluation. That is the variable in our equation; fallible but not unjust. And if we are to lose ourselves in the nimbus of objectivity, we have reference judges in the wings to set our course straight.
Thank you for your attention.
FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DE GYMNASTIQUE
Prof Bruno Grandi, President
WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM GEESE
Fact #1 – As each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird following. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds 71 percent greater flying range than if one bird flew alone.
Lesson Learned – People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the strength of one another.
Fact #2 – Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front.
Lesson Learned – If we have as much sense as geese, we will stay in formation with those who are ahead of where we want to go and be willing to accept their help as well as give ours to others.
Fact #3 – When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies at the point position.
Lesson Learned – It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership.
Fact #4 – The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
Lesson Learned – We need to make sure our honking from behind is encouraging, and not something else.
Fact #5 – When a goose gets sick or wounded or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it is able to fly again, or dies. Then they launch out on their own, with another formation, or they catch up with their flock.
Lesson Learned – If we have as much sense as geese do, we too, will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong.
HOW TO DELIVER A HOLIDAY TOAST?
Today we escape (a little) from the gymnastics world to talk about delivering a quality, memorable toast at a Holiday Party. We just had our Holiday Party last night and as the owner of the gyms I felt it important to get up and say a few words. My goal was for my staff to know that I really appreciate all their hard work and that I look forward to working with them each and every day.
The actual point of ANY toast is to get your audience to like themselves (and you) a little bit more than before you started speaking. Think about the toast beforehand. Maybe make some notes-BUT, when you are standing up in front of everyone. NO NOTES. I think that if you have notes, it seems less sincere.
When delivering the message itself- think about what you would say about your employees to a group of other club owners. Leave out the negative- AND THERE IS YOUR TOAST.
Key Technical Matters
- The toast should come early. Maybe it’s not the first thing, but it should happen near the beginning.
- It’s OK to yell at people to get them to be quiet. Anyway, whatever follows, “HEY! SHUT UP!” will seem magnanimous by comparison.
- You have to be standing up.
- You have to hold your drink chest-high during the entire toast. If, while holding your drink chest-high during the entire toast, your arm gets tired, then it’s probably time to wrap it up. Arm fatigue is a natural toast timer!
- Stay in one place. Leave “working the room” to the motivation speakers.
- Any sort of “traditional Irish toast” that you found on the internet is not recommended. Most of these fail at being funny, cute or sincere. It just says, “I really don’t care enough to think of something on my own”
- If you are giving the toast and your boss is in the room, do NOT poke fun at your boss during the toast.
- If your boss is NOT in the room, do NOT poke fun of your boss during the toast.
- If you are the boss, you may (and probably should) poke fun at your self.
- Do not use the term “poke fun” during a toast.
- Or any other time.
- When in doubt, say: “Cheers to us and screw everybody else.” That always works.
SECRETS TO BETTER BRAINSTORMING
Secrets To Better Brainstorming
We have all been called into those meetings where we are asked to brainstorm on-
- A new program
- Problems with a particular group of gymnasts
- Problems with a particular group of parents (problem parents? In our sport?)
- Plan for the new year
Some times these session get way off track and lost in the woods. Sometimes they do not even create a BRAIN BREEZE let alone a Brain Storm.
Let’s start at the beginning- HOW DO YOU LEAD A BRAINSTORM MEETING?
The Invitation-
- An invitation to a brainstorm session should start with a stated goal.
- Should include a little more information than you think anyone needs so that everyone feels comfortable participating
- Consider inviting one more person than you think you need. Maybe a lower level coach or someone from a different part of the program. Maybe even a PARENT!
How To Begin The Meeting
- You could stand up and yell, “Get out your umbrellas because there is going to be a brainstorm.” But that would probably just make you feel stupid. So I would start by making fun of someone else. (Ok- I am kidding. Maybe.)
- If you have refreshments, snacks, beer what ever, make sure everyone gets what they want then bring the focus back to you.
- You need to get things rolling so have some ideas ready. Nothing too specific and nothing too good. You don’t want people to latch onto them like a life raft. You just want to get things moving. Think of it being inspirational mediocrity. It gives everyone an example that they can easily beat.
Bad Ideas
- Gently guide the discussion. The reason you are leading the meeting is that you have become successful enough to know a good idea from a bad idea. As a leader it is OK to let people walk down certain paths and abandon others. But be gentle.
- If you are going down a dead end or the conversation is getting lost- just ask the question again.
Silence
To the person leading the meeting, silence suggests time is being wasted by people who don’t know what they are doing.
- Let the silence hang in the air for a second. Let people collect their thoughts. Look them in the eyes.
Getting Out
- Bring the meeting to an end by recapping what was discussed.
- Try to have an idea that each person contributed.
- Thank everyone for their participation.
- Finish your drink and relax and listen. Keep your note book near by. Someone will have something to add!
KEY TECHNICAL MATTERS
- When an idea comes to you, wait 10 seconds. If it still seems like a great idea after 10 seconds, then say it out loud.
- If alcoholic beverages have been made available to you and you’ve had one drink, wait 20 seconds before blurting out your idea.
- Three drinks?- Wait a minute
- Four drinks? Shhhhhhhhh
- A colleagues idea should not be publicly denigrated- unless it is so colossally stupid that by cutting it off at the knees you’re averting disaster.
- Maybe not even then.
- The best way to tell if an idea is good is to look at everyone BUT the person speaking. Almost any response is indicative or merit. Shift in position, nod, smile, robot dance, swoon.
- Best thing anyone’s ever said about a brainstorming session, “When stuff is good, it floats” (remember that other things float too)
- Know that together you can defy the impossible
- Snacks help.
5 Exercises to keep YOU (the coach) healthy!
Gina Paulhus, CPT and Owner, Home Bodies Fitness Training
As coaches we are always worried about our athlete’s conditioning program. We need to make sure our athletes’ bodies are physically prepared for the demands of gymnastics. When is the last time you thought about if YOUR body is prepared to coach?
Think about it–the demands include: spotting, moving mats (hopefully you have trained your kids to move the mats!!), long hours on your feet and with your body in less than ideal positions. Coaches have a dominant side which can throw the body out of whack over time. Then there is the stamina required of being the only coach at a meet with kids in four separate squads…
Here are 5 simple tips you can use when thinking about your own workout. You ARE working out, RIGHT??
1. For strength training, choose dumbbells over machines and barbells.
Dumbbells prevent your stronger side from ‘taking over’ developing muscular balance in the body. A balanced body is less prone to injury.
2. Favor ‘interval training’ over steady cardio.
Interval training, where you vary your pace within a workout (such as jog, sprint, alternating, or jog, walk alternating) is more similar to the demands of your job. It is also more effective in helping with weight control. 20 minutes of intervals is worth 60 minutes of steady cardio.
3. Do some core.
I bet you know a billion core exercises for your gymnasts. Pick two for abdominals, two for your sides, and two for your back.
4. Work out before work.
You will not be able to put much into your training after a long day at the gym. If you have kids, try hitting the gym right after dropping them off at school. Don’t go home, you will find something else to do!
5. Stretch tight areas as priority.
Who has time to stretch for an hour? But everyone can find five to ten minutes to stretch your tightest areas. Hamstrings, hip flexors, chest, and back are typical culprits.
INJURIES
Like any coach I HATE to see any gymnast get hurt.
Unfortunately Injuries are a reality in any sport and it is not a matter of IF a gymnast is going to get hurt, it is a matter of WHEN. Knowing that every gymnast is going to experience some kind of injury that will prevent her from optimal performance in practice or competition should encourage us (as gymnastics professionals) to have a plan. I have told the athletes I work with, There are only 2 guarantees in gymnastics:
- You are going to get hurt
- You are going to get frustrated
It is HOW you deal with #1 that will help with #2
Injuries can range from as small as a rip to the obvious fractures and torn ligaments and ruptured tendons. Each athlete will deal with their injury differently. Some have a very high tolerance for pain while others have a relatively low threshold. I have had gymnasts who when they ripped you would have thought that someone had taken a blow torch to their hand and other gymnasts who continued to work out on what we discovered was a broken bone in her ankle.
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO REACT TO AN INJURY?
A coaches attitude towards an injury is so important. You want the gymnast to be able to tell you if something hurts BUT they should also tell you how much they think they can do.
“My ankle really hurts, I think I am only going to be able to do Vault OR Floor. Which should I do?”
If a coach over reacts to an injury then the gymnast will as well. I have seen coaches under reacts to an injury, the gymnast may learn NOT to tell the coach when they are hurt or feel that the coach doesn’t care. It certainly is a fine line.
RETURNING TO THE GYM
Following an injury we all want the gymnasts to return to practice and be part of the group. It is good for their psychological state, it keeps the desire to return high. We can all think of an athlete who did not return from a relatively minor injury because of too much time off and they felt that the group moved on with out them.
I like to see the girls back at their normal practice schedule even if hours are reduced. Speaking to an athlete on their return is a crucial part of their rehab. What is the plan? Because of the nature of women’s gymnastics leg injuries are the most prevalent as well as the most limiting in the gym. If an athlete hurts her leg, This is an opportunity for them to really make improvements on bars. They can learn to be more subtle with their arm movements on dance. I have had a great deal of success with gymnasts practicing “mental choreography” for leg events that they can not do (I will write more in this later).
If she has injured her arm, there really is a lot they can do in the gym. Tramp will become their new best friend! There are literally thousands of drills and skills that kids can do on tramp for every event. (Who knows maybe that will be the topic of another dvd!)
It is important that the gymnasts know that EVERYTHING WILL BE OK. This is a set back, but it is also a time to let other things heal. This is also an opportunity to make improvements in other areas.
- Strength
- Flexibility
- Dance
- Rhythm
- Speed
Your relationship with the medical community is another aspect often overlooked. Face it, there are some out there who HATE gymnastics.They think gymnastics is a form of abuse. My daughter had a Dr who was a hater. Can you imagine the arguments we had? We are talking serious fireworks in the office. Needless to say- he is no longer her Dr. I will save my tirade against those closed mined individuals for another time. Find a set of DRs who understand sports and children. The fact that gymnastics is a big part of their life and that taking it away can be crushing. Invite them in to your gym. (give their kid a free trial class!). Show them what you do and that you really care about the children. If they know you and your concern for safety and the individual recovery they are more likely to let a gymnast return to limited gymnastics sooner. I actually had a DR put a kid in a cast for a fairly minor sprain because he knew this particular athlete WOULD NOT stay off it. This was a great thing and the DR called me up and told me why.
Find a great Physical Therapist in the area. Invite them in.
Every time an athlete goes to see a DR or a PT they are usually given exercises for their particular injury. Start a big 3 ring binder and divide into body parts. Make a copy of the exercises and keep them in the book.
Have some pre-designed work outs for athletes with limitation. Sort of a “Help my ankle hurts Vault work out” Or Bars, Beam, Floor. This will save you a lot of time and aggravation as you work with your healthy athletes.
Proper nutrition is a key component to injury recovery. Here are 2 good articles.
Nutrition as a key player in injury recovery
